The most solid stone in the structure is the lowest one in the foundation.
Kahlil Gibran
Let’s face it, at some point in our lives, we have all been guilty of looking down at people coming from the lowest strata of the society. Not only do we underestimate the things they do to improve the quality of our lives, but even erroneously revel in a misplaced sense of superiority.
There are several people in our life who make it a great deal simpler for us. From our domestic help to our plumber, we are dependent on people we hardly know (or ever care to know) for our everyday needs. In general, our attitude toward them is pitiful at best. While the more benevolent souls among us do feel sorry for them every now and then, the less considerate ones miss no opportunity to belittle them. Anyone who has had a few minutes to spare for a candid conversation with, say, their maid can attest to the fact that life hasn’t been particularly kind to them.
Whether we accept it or not, we scorn our less fortunate brethren for their profession. We ridicule the very jobs they undertake to simplify our hectic lives. However, all this while, we conveniently overlook the fact that, if not for them, things would come to a standstill for us. Our lives get chaotic the moment they are unable to help us with our day-to-day requirements. Yet, we continue to neglect their indispensable presence in our lives.
Ironically, the section our society scoffs at is the one that makes up its very foundation; all order and organization that the well-to-do ones flaunt is much to the credit of those helping us with our menial activities. And that should be reason enough for us to appreciate the hard work they do for us on a daily basis.
Gibran Khalil Gibran, usually referred to as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer and poet. Widely respected for his sympathetic take on the less privileged classes, Gibran once wrote: “The most solid stone in the structure is the lowest one in the foundation.”